Two factories in the Manhattan Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet town have fired more than 40 workers since thousands-strong strikes ended early this month, unions say.

Terminations at Best Way and Fico garment factories were bosses’ way of exacting revenge for the large-scale strike that closed entire SEZs for days, Meas Sokna, an official from the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, said.

All 40 dismissals occurred last week, and about 10 new workers replaced them, an official at Best Way said.

“It is not acceptable,” Sokna said. “After they joined the strike last month, the company fired a few workers each day until more than 40 had been sacked.”

But Sek Somporse, a Best Way assistant administrator, said the firings had nothing to do with the strike. Factory officials fired employees because of unsatisfactory work, he said.

“They did not work well at the factory and were stubborn at work,” Somporse said.

“[Firings] did not involve the strike.”